U22 football team back from training

THE Cambodian under-22 men’s football team has completed all three of their overseas training camps and arrived back in the Kingdom ahead of the upcoming 32nd SEA Games. The football competition is set to start on April 29, and organisers have assured the public that venue preparations are almost complete, with only advertising hoardings to be erected and final pitch markings to be painted.

The team touched down on April 19, after completing their third and final camp, in the Thai capital Bangkok.

Their first camp took place on the resort island of Koh Samui, while their second phase saw them fly to Singapore, where they took part in the 2023 Merlion Cup. Although they went down 4-2 to Malaysia, they were able to beat Singapore 2-1 to secure third place.

For the next week, the team is likely to be focusing on preparations at the Olympic Stadium, including a rumoured closed doors session with Svay Rieng FC. The stadium will be the venue of their Group A qualifying matches against Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste. Their campaign will get underway on April 29 against Timor-Leste, followed by Indonesia versus the Philippines.

Group B, which consists of Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Laos, will compete at the Visakha FC’s Prince Stadium.

The semi-finals and finals, which will determine this year’s medalists, will take place at the Morodok Techo National Stadium.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Tea Banh, who serves as chairman of the national organising committees for both SEA Games and Para Games, confirmed that all stadiums will be completed on time for the first kick-offs.

“As the games approach, we have prioritised the work. Each pitch will be up to international standard,” he said on April 19.

He explained that four football fields will be in use, including the aforementioned facilities, plus the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Stadium, commonly referred to as Old Stadium, which will be used for the women’s qualifiers.

“There were some concerns about the lighting system at the old stadium, but these have now been resolved,” he noted.